Why did the virgians kill the native americans instead of making slaves of them?

Position:Home>History> Why did the virgians kill the native americans instead of making slaves of them?

Question:

In America, why did Virginians kill the natives instead of using them for slaves!? (reasons!?)

Thanks :)Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

One must bear in mind that in the early days of settlement the Virginia colonists were both outnumbered by local Indian nations and also dependent upon their cooperation in order to survive!. The killing came later when the Anglos became more numerous!. Gunpowder and muskets wouldn't have made much difference at first and the Natives were on their home turf!.

Enslavement of Natives had also already been attempted by the Spanish in the West Indies, who found them too susceptible to European diseases to use as a permanent slave force!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The English didn't rely on slave labor the way the Spanish did, especially in the New World!. And its hard to enslave someone if they could simply slip away and disappear back into the wilderness!. So the English came initially prepared to do their own labor!. It was only after some of the American colonies were starting to flourish that slavery came into use!. And by then the use of African slaves were shown to be more economically feasible, as well as controllable, than the indiginious tribes!. It's ironic that while many African descended slaves would escape and join native american tribes, there were also tribes that would end up owning slaves themselves as they attempted to adapt to the "white man's culture"!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I'm reading a book comparing Spanish & English colonization of the Americas and it has touched on this topic!. This is probably a very simplistic answer, but I think the main reason is that Native Americans didn't make good slaves!. They were on their home turf and could easily run away into the wilderness!. Native Americans just weren't as physically able to do some of the labor required, either!. Many contracted European diseases easily & usually died from them!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Virginians did enslave some Native slaves but most of them ran away and hid in the wilderness or died because of exposure to diseasesWww@QuestionHome@Com

The native American would rather die before being enslaved!. The Spanish had done it to their ancestors including shipping them to slave markets in the Indies!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

You keep a slave to do work!. If someone is thought to be too savage to perform 'civilized labor', what use are they!?Www@QuestionHome@Com